Materials · Profile

Plastics in installation

Nine abbreviations that come up constantly in the piping trade and are rarely explained. Plastics have no material number like steel – they are named after their molecule, and they are ordered by system, pressure rating and manufacturer approval. This profile explains what is behind PPSU, PB, PE-RT, PE-Xc, PE 100, PP-H, PVC-C, PVDF and ABS, where each one is found in our range and how to tell them apart on the part. At the end, a box on the sealing materials of the press systems.

Three roles: Fitting materials (PPSU, PB) · multilayer pipes (PE-RT, PE-Xc with aluminium core) · pressure pipe materials (PE 100, PP-H, PVC-C, PVDF, ABS)
In our range: GF iFIT from stock · Uponor and Geberit Mepla · GF plastic systems on request · compression connectors for PP and PVC-C
Ordered by: system, standard, SDR/PN and manufacturer approval – the material name alone is not enough
Identify: Pipe print first · colour · float test · type of joint (push-fit, press, weld, solvent cement)

What the abbreviations say

Plastic abbreviations name the basic building block of the molecule, sometimes with an addition for the way it is made: the X in PE-X stands for cross-linked, the letter after it for the process – a peroxide, b silane, c electron beam. RT means raised temperature, a polyethylene with increased temperature resistance without cross-linking. C after PVC means post-chlorinated, H after PP homopolymer. The number in PE 100 is not a pressure rating but the strength class of the raw material; the pressure rating is printed on the pipe as SDR or PN.

The plastics in our range – reading aid (not a material table)
Abbreviation	Full name	What characterises it	Joint	Typical use in our range
PPSU	Polyphenylsulfone	High-strength, resistant to hot water and steam sterilisation, translucent amber. The fitting material of the push-fit systems – replaces brass without corrosion or dezincification.	Push-fit (clamping ring in the fitting)	GF iFIT fittings
PB	Polybutene	Flexible, tough at low temperatures, permanently resistant to hot water. Pipe and fitting in one system; SVGW-certified for drinking water (manufacturer information GF).	Push-fit, welding (socket)	GF iFIT PB pipe and fittings
PE-RT/AL/PE-RT	Polyethylene of raised temperature resistance, aluminium core	Multilayer composite pipe: PE-RT inside and outside, butt-welded aluminium in between. Dimensionally stable like metal, diffusion-tight, bendable by hand.	Press (metal or plastic sleeve), compression connectors	Uponor Uni Pipe PLUS/MLC, composite systems
PE-Xc (/AL/PE)	Electron-beam cross-linked polyethylene	Cross-linking makes the PE resistant to stress cracking and permanently heat-resistant; as a composite pipe with aluminium core or as a plain pipe with oxygen barrier.	Press, sliding sleeve	Geberit Mepla (PE-Xb/AL/PE), composite and surface heating systems
PE 100	High-density polyethylene, strength class 100	The pressure pipe of water and gas supply: tough, weldable, black or with blue stripes, up to around 40 °C.	Heating-coil and butt welding, electrofusion, compression connectors	GF plastic systems, supply lines
PP-H	Polypropylene homopolymer	Very chemically resistant, stiffer than PE, grey, weldable, up to around 95 °C for short periods. The industrial pipe for acids and alkalis.	Butt and socket welding, compression connectors	GF plastic systems (industry), polygebo compression connectors
PVC-C	Post-chlorinated polyvinyl chloride	Like PVC-U, but able to take considerably more heat (up to around 80 °C according to the manufacturer), light grey, joined by solvent cement rather than welding.	Solvent cement, compression connectors	GF plastic systems, polygebo compression connectors
PVDF	Polyvinylidene fluoride	Fluoroplastic: high purity, very resistant to chemicals and UV, natural white, weldable, up to around 140 °C according to the manufacturer. The pipe for ultrapure media and aggressive chemicals.	Butt and infrared welding	GF plastic systems (chemicals, semiconductors)
ABS	Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene	Tough down to well below zero, light grey-blue, solvent-cemented. The pipe for brine and refrigeration plants.	Solvent cement	GF plastic systems (refrigeration)

Material roles and approximate temperature data as manufacturer information (GF iFIT brochure 2023 and SVGW certificate PB, Uponor technical information 2024, Geberit brochure 2026); the pressure pipe materials of the GF plastic systems as general specialist knowledge, manufacturer catalogue to follow. Exact temperature-pressure curves and media resistance are given in the manufacturer documentation.

Why plastic is ordered by system

With steel, the material carries the responsibility: 1.4404 is 1.4404, no matter who rolls it. With plastic, the system carries it. The same raw material PE-RT is processed by each manufacturer with a different aluminium wall, a different bonding layer and a different press contour – an Uponor pipe belongs in an Uponor fitting, a Mepla pipe in Mepla. Then there are the pressure ratings: a PE 100 pipe SDR 11 and SDR 17 have the same material and different walls. And the approvals: for drinking water, the certification of the system applies (DVGW, SVGW, KTW/UBA assessment), not that of the granulate.

That is why, with plastic, our question is “which system, which size, which pressure rating, which medium at which temperature” rather than “which material”. The answer leads to the manufacturer and its approval table; our system pages say which systems we stock and where the transitions are: Push-fit systems · Composite and push-fit systems · System transition.

Source note: system certifications according to manufacturer documentation (GF iFIT, Uponor, Geberit); the ordering rule is our statement about our range.

Examples of where the material is found in our range

Plastics in our range (register daten/werkstoffe.csv, as of 10/2026)
Material	In our range	Page
PPSU	iFIT fittings and push-fit connectors from stock (core range of push-fit systems)	GF iFIT · Parts and tools
PB	iFIT PB pipe in coils and straight lengths, PB fittings	GF iFIT · Application limits
PE-RT/AL/PE-RT	Uponor multilayer pipe and multilayer systems, multigebo compression couplings	Uponor · Multilayer and push-fit systems · multigebo
PE-Xc	Multilayer and surface heating pipes, Geberit Mepla (PE-Xb/AL/PE)	Geberit Mepla · Multilayer and push-fit systems
PE 100 · PP-H · PVC-C · PVDF · ABS	GF plastic systems for industry, utilities and refrigeration – on request via the manufacturer, polygebo compression couplings for PP and PVC-C from stock	Plastic compression couplings

Source note: stock levels according to our ERP survey (as of 10/2026: iFIT in stock; composite and GF plastic systems on request); material per item according to the manufacturer’s catalogue.

Identifying the part – in this order

1. Print first. Plastic pipes carry continuous printing of material, size, SDR or PN, standard, manufacturer, approval mark and production date. Fittings carry the manufacturer’s mark and system name. The print is what makes a plastic pipe identifiable – and installable.

2. Colour and transparency. PPSU translucent amber, PB grey or light, PE black (water blue-striped, gas yellow-striped), PP-H grey, PVC-C light grey, PVDF natural white, ABS light grey-blue. A composite pipe shows the silver aluminium core at the cut.

3. Float test. PE and PP are lighter than water and float; PVC-C, PVDF, PPSU and ABS sink. This separates the polyolefins from the rest in a second.

4. Type of joint. Weld seams indicate PE, PP or PVDF; solvent-cement sockets PVC-C or ABS; press sleeves composite pipe; push-fit fittings iFIT. Anything that cannot be welded is not PE.

Limit: identifying the part indicates the probable material family – not the degree of cross-linking, pressure rating, raw material batch or suitability for drinking water, and it does not replace a manufacturer’s certificate or a system approval.

Box: sealing materials of the press systems

Every press fitting seals with an elastomer ring – and that ring, not the metal around it, decides on the medium. The four we come across:

EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber) is the standard for drinking water, heating and cooling water – black, permanently resistant to hot water, not oil-resistant. HNBR (hydrogenated nitrile rubber) is the ring for gas, heating oil and compressed air containing oil – marked yellow. FKM (fluororubber) covers high temperatures, solvents and industrial media – at Viega Megapress S XL as a special ring. CIIR (chlorobutyl rubber) is the sealing material of Geberit Mepla for drinking water and heating.

Which ring may be used for which medium is stated in the system manufacturer’s media list alone – we reproduce it as published: Sealing elements and media · Rule of thumb: sealing element before system.

Source note: sealing materials and media assignment according to the Viega media list 2025 and the Geberit brochure 2026 (manufacturer information).

The typical mix-ups

“PE-X is PE 100.” No – cross-linked PE can no longer be welded, PE 100 can. A PE-X pipe belongs in press or sliding-sleeve fittings, a PE 100 pipe on the heating plate.

“PVC-C is PVC.” Almost – PVC-U is the cold water and drainage pipe, PVC-C tolerates considerably higher temperatures. Both are solvent-cemented, but each with its own cement and not to each other.

“A PPSU fitting replaces brass in any system.” No – the fitting is part of the push-fit system and fits only the pipes the manufacturer approves. Transitions to metal are separate parts: Transitions to other systems.

“PE is PE.” No – PE 80, PE 100, PE-RT and PE-X are four different raw materials with four different roles. The print says which.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between PE-X and PE 100?

PE-X is cross-linked polyethylene for multilayer and heating pipes and cannot be welded. PE 100 is the pressure pipe material for utilities and industry and is welded.

Is plastic approved for drinking water?

The system is or is not – GF iFIT PB is SVGW-certified according to the manufacturer, Uponor and Mepla carry DVGW certificates. The approval applies to pipe, fitting and seal together.

Can I mix composite pipes from different manufacturers?

Only with approval. The same material does not mean the same wall, the same core or the same press contour. Transitions between systems are separate parts.

What does SDR mean?

Standard Dimension Ratio – the ratio of outside diameter to wall thickness. Smaller number, thicker wall, higher pressure. Which pressure rating that corresponds to for which material is given in the manufacturer’s table.

Can I get an inspection certificate for plastic pipe?

Manufacturers supply declarations of conformity and system certificates, and on request a declaration of compliance 2.1. An inspection certificate 3.1 as with steel is not customary for plastic pipe.

Which plastic system fits?

Tell us the medium, temperature, size and place of installation – we will tell you which system we stock, what is available from stock and where the manufacturer gives its approval.

Send an inquiry

Your inquiry to Zickwolff

Send us what you have – designation, standard, quantity, date. We will clarify the rest with you.

One item or a question

Send inquiry

Not in stock? We procure it – single items too.

Designation, standard and quantity are enough.

Several items

Send bill of materials

200 items? One parts list is enough – we deliver complete.

Attach it as a file.

Helpful if already known: project and country, date needed, certificates, packaging and language of the packing lists. If anything is missing, we will ask.

It is urgent

Request express

When do you need it? Express delivery, to the site if required.

Tell us by when you need the material – we will tell you what is possible.

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As of 2026-10-24. Material statements as manufacturer information (GF iFIT and practice guide, Uponor, Geberit, Viega media list, Gebo); approximate temperature data without guarantee, the manufacturers’ temperature-pressure tables are binding; no resistance lists, no standard texts. Not legal advice.